Washington (CNN) – Conservatives gathered Friday for the second day of the annual Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) that promised speeches from and discussions with leading Republican lawmakers, analysts and pundits. The three day meeting in Washington will culminate with a much-watched straw poll Saturday. Check back here for updates from our reports and producers throughout the day. Watch the remarks live here and read the Live blog of CPAC: Day 1. Read more here.

Walker, who faces a recall election after state Democrats submitted a petition with more than a million signatures, said the effort was funded by big union bosses based in Washington.

"I believe we will prevail," Walker said. He said the message he endorsed will echo across the states and into Congress and asked the audience for help spreading "the truth" about what was happening is his state across the country.

6:49 p.m. ET - @KilloughCNN reports: Things are breaking up but lots of protesters now engaging in intense, in-depth conversations with CPAC attendees. Clash of two movements.

5:04 p.m. ET - Commentator Andrew Breitbart, publisher of Breitbart.com, said his speech will serve as a "war cry for 2012." He said the crowd needs to "join me in this war against the institutional left. This is not your mother's Democratic Party."

4:32 p.m. ET - @PrestonCNN: @newtgingrich has his supporters in the #CPAC audience, but it's not like '11 when he marched in like a prize fighter.

4:29 p.m. ET – In addition to the repeal of Dodd-Frank, "Obamacare" and the Sarbane-Oxley Act, the repeals of which he often promises the campaign trail, he also said he would overturn "every act of religious bigotry of the Obama administration" as president.

4:22 p.m. ET - Newt Gingrich, addressing what he called establishment criticism of him and his candidacy, said there's "good reason they're doing it, this campaign is a mortal threat to their grip."
4:21 p.m. ET - @jimacostacnn: Baffling we don't see more Callista speeches at Gingrich events. She was very effective at degrandiosing him. #CPAC12
4:18 p.m. ET – @HowardKurtz: Newt invokes Reagan three sentences in, recalls Gipper's 1974 CPAC speech.

4:17 p.m. ET - Callista Gingrich, introducing her husband, said there are three things the audience doesn't know about her husband: He's a committed golfer, he loves books and he's very supporter of her endeavors, including her singing and French Horn playing.

He "gets in and out of more sand traps than anyone I've ever seen," she said.

4:03 p.m. ET - Number of ABC's "The View" clips played and then attacked in the main CPAC ballroom so far? 4 ... as part of the "The 'Right' View" panel discussion. Panel includes Michelle Duggar.

3:14 p.m. ET - @KilloughCNN reports: Ahead of Newt Gingrich's address at the conference, scores of College Republicans jammed the hallway, waiting to hold a reception for the former House speaker. Some already had wine glasses in hand.

3:05 p.m. ET - @KilloughCNN reports: At a Leadership Institute session on video activism, instructors passed out a how-to guide on exposing what they called "liberal hypocrisy." The packet included a 50 state map detailing which states have one-party consent vs. two-party consent recording laws.

2:55 p.m. ET - Sitting alongside his peers James Madison, Ben Franklin Thomas Paine, and Alexander Hamilton - all played by Tea Party actors - another actor playing Thomas Jefferson said the actual founders would be dismayed about the state of the country.

"We did not roll over in our graves we rolled out of our graves," the actor playing Jefferson said. "You did not listen to us."

"You created a leviathan that has walked over all of our rights," the actor playing Franklin said.

2:50 p.m. ET - Conservative radio host Laura Ingraham said there have been too many distractions in the 2012 campaign, including Cain's personal life, the dispute over HPV vaccines in Texas and Gingrich's comments about moon colonies. The called on the remaining candidates to have a serious debate about important issues facing the country.

2:17 p.m. ET – LaPierre said he is OK the media wants to call him "crazy" because "the media won't win this election, gun owners will."

2:11 p.m. ET - Executive Vice President of the National Rifle Association Wayne LaPierre said gun-owners are "all in" in the fight to defeat Obama.

"When the sun goes down on election day, Barack Obama will have America's gun owners to thank for his defeat," LaPierre said.

2:07 p.m. ET - @KilloughCNN reports: A former Newt Gingrich supporter, Michael Neary, said he now thinks the candidate is "self-destructing" and believes Mitt Romney is the most consistent conservative in the race.

"I think Romney's speech won over a lot of voters," he said. "He has a very strong conservative message and needs to stick with it."

Neary's friend, a fellow student at Washington College in Maryland, had a slightly different take on Romney's speech. Stephan Brandenburger said the Republican frontrunner seemed to be trying to persuade the audience that he was, in fact, a conservative.

"He's more of a statesman than any of the other candidates, but he was a bit distant," Brandenburger said. "He always had to justify he was conservative. Gingrich just connects better."

1:35 p.m. ET – @PrestonCNN: I think it is safe to say #cpac for the past 20 mins. was like being in a butcher shop. @MittRomney delivered lots of red meat.
1:31 p.m. ET - Ten people with duct tape over their mouths and shirts reading "if money is power poverty is silence" stood below a projection screen showing Romney's speech to an overflow crowd.

They stood in front of the screen for about two minutes. Men on suits with headsets escorted them from the room. Protesters began shouting "we are 99%."

1:18 p.m. ET - @PrestonCNN: At #cpac, @MittRomney doubles down on his biz background. Meanwhile, @ricksantorum argues US doesn't need a CEO, but a commander-in-chief.
1:25 p.m. ET – "And let me be clear: Mine will be a pro-life presidency," Romney said continuing to emphasize his social conservatism. "I will ensure that organizations like Planned Parenthood get no federal support. And I will reverse every single Obama regulation that attacks our religious liberty and threatens innocent life."

1:15 p.m. ET - Romney offered a strong defense of what he said was his socially conservative record as governor of Massachusetts. He pointed to his action in defense of traditional marriage, abstinence education and in defense of life.

"I was a severely conservative Republican governor," he said.

His prepared remarks read: "I was a conservative governor."

1:12 p.m. ET - @AriFleischer: Romney: "If you're not a fiscal conservative in business, you go bankrupt." Good line – and credible for Romney.
1:11 p.m. ET - Receiving his largest applause line yet, Romney said he's not ashamed of his successes in business.

"In business, if you’re not fiscally conservative, you’re bankrupt," Romney said. "I did things conservatism is designed for – I started new businesses and turned around broken ones. And I am not ashamed to say that I was very successful at it.
I know conservatism because I have lived conservatism."

1:08 p.m. ET - @HowardKurtz: Romney trotting out new attack lines at CPAC: "Barack Obama is the poster child for the arrogance of government."

As the protesters marched towards the main entrance to the Marriott Wardman Park, DC Metro Police and Marriott Security formed a cordon and ordered them to stay on public property.

They held signs that read "We are the 99 percent," "Santorum is a dirty word" and "Walmart for President." Protesters chanted what has become their regular mantra, "This is what Democracy looks like!"
12:57 p.m. ET - @HowardKurtz: Christine O'Donnell at CPAC as a Romney surrogate, saying he was one of the first to back her ill-fated candidacy two years ago.
12:49 p.m. ET - @KilloughCNN reports: A mascot with a message: Say no to RINOs. (Republicans in name only)

12:36 p.m. ET - @KilloughCNN reports: In an adapted version of Friday's CPAC scheduled, tailor made by Gingrich's campaign, the candidate took subtle swipes at two of his chief opponents.

12:14 p.m. ET – @DanaBashCNN report: Santorum (via spokesperson Hogan Gidley who is with the former senator right now):

"Shifting the burden to the insurers is not the point. Taking our freedom is."
12:12 p.m. ET - The first of about 200 people began lining up an hour early to meet and have a photo taken with one-time presidential hopeful Herman Cain.

As he posed for pictures in his trademark gold tie, Iowa Rep. Steve King breezed through the same hallway en-route to an interview, but the two did not see each other.

12:09 p.m. ET - Coulter said some right-wingers say Romney is square, but she said that's what's needed because "hip has nearly wrecked the country," a reference to Obama.
12:03 p.m. ET - Obama will be difficult to beat in 2010 because he's an incumbent, Americans like him personally and the "non-Fox media is gaga about him," Coulter said. She added that he would probably make a nice next door neighbor unless you're Chinese and then "he'd be constantly borrowing stuff."
12:00 p.m. ET - Conservative commentator Ann Coulter said Obama's campaign slogan of "hope" and "change" beat out his other option: "I'm going to raise the budget debt y $4 trillion and not create a single job."

11:31 a.m. ET - Sen. Jim Inhofe began his remarks by saying he probably knows Santorum better than anyone in the room, having served with him in Congress and attended a weekly prayer breakfast together.

"What he tells you is not scripted, it's from the heart," the Oklahoma senator said. "He's the real deal."

10:48 a.m. ET - Whoever becomes the Republican nominee, Obama will have a money advantage over them in the general election, Santorum said, which is why the GOP candidate needs ideas, vision and a record of accomplishment.

"We're going to win with contrasts, we're going to win with ideas, we're going to win by making Barack Obama and his failed policies the issue in this race," he said.
10:45 a.m. ET - @jimacostacnn: Santorum on Obamacare: "It's about government control and it's gotta stop." #cpac2012

10:44 a.m. ET - Santorum blasted the Obama administration over the contraception controversy, saying the policy is not just about religion, but about basic freedoms.

He said the move is the latest example of the left using sentimentality to "scare" Americans into supporting "radical ideas," including global warming.

10:42 a.m. ET – @PrestonCNN: A well worn phrase every 4 years: "This is the most important election in your lifetime." @ricksantorum just said it at #CPAC
10:39 a.m. ET – Although the 2012 election will not just be about the economy, Santorum said his economic plan is "supply side economics for the working man," including the "very poor," a seemingly veiled jab at Mitt Romney's "poor" comment two weeks ago.
10:37 a.m. ET - Santorum said conservatives and tea party activists are not wings of the Republican Party, but "are the Republican Party."

"We have learned our lesson to no longer abandon and apologize for the policies and principles that made this country great for a hollow victory in November," he said.

10:35 a.m. ET - @PrestonCNN: What a year makes. At ’10 #CPAC, @ricksantorum spoke on Sat. at 8 a.m. He took audience questions. Will he today?

10:34 a.m. ET - Santorum, the first presidential candidate to appear in the main ballroom, took the stage surrounded by his family.

"We're not the Von Trapp family, we're not going to sing," he said.

10:30 a.m. ET - Major Santorum backer and millionaire Foster Friess opened his introduction of the former Pennsylvania senator with a joke.

"A conservative a moderate and a liberal walk into a bar. And the bartender goes, "Hi Mitt," Friess, clad in a Santorum sweater vest said to tepid applause.
10:29 a.m. ET – @HowardKurtz: Why wait for speech? Santorum in hallway at CPAC, draws big throng talking about faith and opposition to abortion. What a diff 3 wins make
10:25 a.m. ET - Explaining his support of GOP frontrunner Mitt Romney, McDonnell said Romney is the "consistent conservative" in the race, a mantle the other candidates in the race have claimed.

10:22 a.m. ET - McDonnell told the crowd "Washington right now has a surplus of rhetoric and a deficit of results." The chair of the Republican Governors Association said GOP state leaders are achieving what leaders in Washington are not, including spending cuts and job creation.

"I promise within the next 10 years, we will see an end to abortion," he said to a round of applause from the roughly 50 people circled around him.

Speaking in front of the "Students for Life" banner, Jones, who produced the film "Bella," argued abortion rights posed a stronger threat to American Society than the Soviet Union ever did.

9:31 a.m. ET - The main ballroom at the conference was standing room only Friday, when three GOP White House hopefuls are scheduled to address the group. On Thursday, many of the ballroom seats were empty.
9:28 a.m. ET - Huackabee reiterated his decision not to back a candidate in 2012: "Any one of them would be more conservative than their opponent in November."

9:27 a.m. ET - When choosing politicians to support, Huckabee said their charitable donations should be taken into account.

"If a person will rob God that person will steal you blind, don't you ever forget it," Huckabee said.

9:23 a.m. ET – Huckabee said TARP should have been named the "Congressional Relief Access Program."
9:22 a.m. ET - @KilloughCNN reports: Rick Santorum talked about his anti-abortion views as media and CPAC attendees swarmed the candidate in the hallway. The presidential candidate appeared as a guest of "Students for Life."

9:16 a.m. ET - Huckabee, who has not endorsed a candidate during this election cycle, said he will never vote for someone who "doesn't respect the sanctity of life" because "they ultimately won't respect the liberty and sense of equality that should be extended to every American living under our Constitutional form of government."

9:13 a.m. ET – @PrestonCNN: "I'm not runnig for anything, I can say any darn thing I want," Mike Huckabee just said at #CPAC12. Wonder what he wouldn't say if he was..

9:07 a.m. ET - Huckabee directed criticism at the Obama administration's decision regarding contraception. The Baptist minister said the decision is a violation of the 1st amendment, adding "we are all Catholics now."

9:04 a.m. ET - Former presidential candidate and Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee opened his remarks to the conservative crowd by thanking President Barack Obama for doing more than any White House contender to "bring this party to unity and energize this party as a result of your attack on religious liberty and attack on the personhood of every American."

soundoff(89 Responses)

urusai

Why is Christianity so emphasized in your reporting and viewpoints?? As a follower of one of the other major worldly religions, I do not feel a sense of equality and fair representation in this country. What does being a follower of Christian have to do with being a qualified individual of this country? Are the rest of us discounted because we do not follow Judeo-Christianity beliefs? What happen to separation between church and state? You seem to project the image that is viewed in Christianity where either you are good or bad, Christian or non-Christian. There is no grey area.

February 10, 2012 12:39 pm at 12:39 pm |

vic , nashville ,tn

“Americans like him personally and the "non-Fox media is gaga about him”

First time Ann Coulter telling the truth
Americans like Obama true and Gaga mean unsupported so she agree that non-fox media not supporting Obama

February 10, 2012 12:42 pm at 12:42 pm |

mm

@ROADWARRIOR – They are called Labor Laws. Look it up. Read the ENTIRE constitution and all the amendments. Don't just pick and chose parts of it in an attempt to state your case.
These churches are not exempt from adhering to those laws since they are employers. Thanks for playing!

February 10, 2012 12:43 pm at 12:43 pm |

A Repulbican

These people scare me! But I don't know what scares me more, the candidates or the people claping for these mentally insane politicians that really just want power. What happen to serving the people?

February 10, 2012 12:46 pm at 12:46 pm |

mm

@ROADWARRIOR – Try reading the ENTIRE constitution and all its amendments. You cannot pick and chose parts in an attempt to state your case. There are Labor Laws which churches need to abide by since they are employers.

@URUSAI – Because these bible thumpers try to shove it down our throats every chance they get. Has nothing to do with reporting. Let's take it a step further. If I am atheist or agnostic, do I not have a right to be represented by my government?

February 10, 2012 12:49 pm at 12:49 pm |

harvey 60

Now I've seen it all. Ray Flynn vouching for Romney's conservatism. Hey, Ray, what administration post did he offer you? Labor Secretary?

February 10, 2012 12:59 pm at 12:59 pm |

Liz Cubriel

Didn't the part of Romney's speech about his heritage and his parents seem almost identical to President Obama's speech at the 2004 DNC in support of Kerry?

February 10, 2012 01:18 pm at 1:18 pm |

Noted

What? No mention of Peter Brimelow and Robert Vandervoort? Brimelow is the founder and head of the White Nationalist hate website VDARE, a site known for publishing the works of racist and anti-Semitic authors. Robert Vandervoort is the director of ProEnglish, an English-only group, and is a former leader of the White Nationalist group Chicagoland Friends of the American Renaissance. They have both been invited to participate in CPAC this year. Tells you a lot about the GOP.

February 10, 2012 01:18 pm at 1:18 pm |

Marcus

Can Coulter be prosecuted for saying what she said? I know that if I said the same about pretty much everybody I would...

February 10, 2012 01:23 pm at 1:23 pm |

vic , nashville ,tn

We can see how crowd is divided when Romney speaking

February 10, 2012 01:27 pm at 1:27 pm |

rooney11

Anyone who would even consider voting for Obama has got to be a complete Idiot. I learned my lesson from voting for him the first time. Liberals are blinded by Ignorance .

February 10, 2012 01:32 pm at 1:32 pm |

AnnaMaria44

WOW!!! Big score for Mitt! Awesome way to outline his record in Massachusetts as well as what he plans to accomplish in Washington! Uplifting!!!

February 10, 2012 01:33 pm at 1:33 pm |

NVa Native

Tony Perkins of the Family something was at CPAC and way in the background there was somebody frantically yelling and jumping all over the stage – at times it was hard to hear Perkins.
Perkins was asked if he thought the President was a Christian – he paused for a while, looked uncomfortable at the directness of the question, and then said "I think so.....whether he asked Christ in to his heart to be his savior.....”
Forget that Perkins had a hard time answering the simple yes or no question – that is clearly yes.
Perkins seemed to hold on to what he apparently thought was a way to continue to falsely question whether Obama is a Christian. Had Obama recited the oath of his personal interpretation of Christianity?

So if you follow the teachings of Christ through words and/or actions for Perkins that doesn't matter. For Perkins and I expect the rest of these religious elites/extremists –you have to have recited their scripted words before are you a "real" Christian.
Perkins, Pat Robertson, and the rest are not gods – they are just regular people like you and anyone/everyone else – who are they to "judge" whether some one is a Christian or not – or worse to "judge" whether you are Christian enough?
What matters is what is in your heart.

February 10, 2012 01:45 pm at 1:45 pm |

vic , nashville ,tn

True Romney change the CPAC into butcher shop same time Obama send the message to women voters “Give me four more years and with democratic congress”

February 10, 2012 01:53 pm at 1:53 pm |

Darw1n

Ahahahaha, Truth, the divisive rhetoric and radical right ideals of Palin and her supporters are at the root of the republican party's problems. She, and her opinions, are so unpopular in our country there's no possibility of her winning a general election against anyone. It was the poor behavior, and complete disdain for the "truth", by Palin, and those like her, three years ago that began this striking, idealogical division in our country. I have watched most of the republican party hold their breath, stomp their feet, and throw a 2 year old temper tantrum non stop since we elected President Obama. I used to be an independent; It is unlikely that I will ever vote for a republican again.

February 10, 2012 02:17 pm at 2:17 pm |

R

All the candidates attending are just puffing for as many votes as they can get by saying what the "audiance" wants to hear.
Note the one candidate who is not in attendence, because he has his own beliefs, and supports the right of the public attendees of this conference to have and voice their opinion. He also believes that they have a right to express it, but not to impose it on the rest of the nation.

February 10, 2012 02:42 pm at 2:42 pm |

vic , nashville ,tn

So far no foreign policy (100s of Syrian losing their life every day ) or no economy plan in CPAC

February 10, 2012 02:42 pm at 2:42 pm |

rj

how is it that the only person reporting about the white nationalist spreading racism at CPA is Al Sharpton!
Get on the ball CNN, and expose this openly racist discussion panel at CPAC!!!!

February 10, 2012 02:45 pm at 2:45 pm |

FrankinSD

What makes a person "severely conservative?" How many back alley abortions do you have to promote? How much child labor? How much environmental degradation? How many wars?

February 10, 2012 02:55 pm at 2:55 pm |

Larry in Houston

@Anonymous – I am amused at all of your posts – When you post on here, I can't say anything, that I honestly Dis-Agree with you – as a Matter of fact – I Agree Wholeheartedly with everything you say. lol Thanks for saying the same things. You're doin Great ! Keep up the good work !

February 10, 2012 03:10 pm at 3:10 pm |

Canuck

"gun-owners are "all in" in the fight to defeat Obama."

Interesting. I believe this demographic group is probably unique to America

February 10, 2012 03:13 pm at 3:13 pm |

v_mag

Ah, the persistent myth of "business experience = presidential qualification". The last thing I want is another "businessman" like Bush. He had (whether he earned it or not) an MBA, for gosh sakes, and he was the worst president ever.

BTW, I believe Jimmy Carter ran a business or two, also. Is Romney going to align himself with Carter, who was far more of a businessman than Reagan ever was?

February 10, 2012 03:18 pm at 3:18 pm |

Rob Vukovic

Apparently conservatives have their heads so far up their collective ass they believe they can continue to win elections without the support of Women, Hispanics, African-Americans, Seniors, Gays, Non-Christians, Union members along with their friends and families, The Working Poor, The unemployed, Voters under 40, College Students, Civil Servants, Americans with Disabilities, Environmentalists, Teachers, Tele-Tubbies, Muppets and my spiritual guide, Spongegbob Squarepants.

February 10, 2012 03:27 pm at 3:27 pm |

NATHAN WIMBERLY

GOBP wingnuts just gave back the votes that President Obama lost when he dusted Hillary off four years ago. Ricky Santorum and Goldwater Gingrich won't bring women in to vote for them.

February 10, 2012 03:33 pm at 3:33 pm |

Rudy NYC

Once upon a time, about 52 years ago, Republicans were worried that a Catholic Democrat from Mass. at the top of the Democratic ticket would take orders from the Pope, if he were elected POTUS. Now we have Republicans pushing for the decrees of the Pope to be the law of the land in America. Amazing how time flies.